Yosemite Institute - It’s all about connection...
In 1989, The McConnell Foundation began funding tuition and transportation for North State high school students to attend a five-day outdoor education program in Yosemite National Park. Annually, up to 140 high school sophomores and juniors from public high schools and public charter schools in Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties, and Big Valley High School in Lassen County are able to spend a transformative week in Yosemite. Groups of students, led by YI instructors, explore the park and participate in discussions and activities designed to heighten awareness of the importance of our natural world.
The goal of the program is to inspire students to think about the environment and empower them to act as responsible stewards of natural resources.
Once selected, participants must complete 8 hours of community service related to the environment. In past years students have performed thousands of hours of volunteer services to organizations such as the Shasta County Wildlife Refuge, Whiskeytown Environmental School, the Upper Sacramento River Exchange, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, and the Department of Fish & Game.
More Yosemite Information
2012 program dates are April 15th - 20th. (The application deadline has passed.)
Important Dates and Deadlines for this year's program
Community Service Information
Clothing & Equipment List - Valley Program
Backcountry Excursion Equipment List
Form required to verify community service hours
For more information about the Yosemite program, please contact Ana Diaz Bachman at 530-226-6235.
Learn more about The McConnell Foundation's week-long Yosemite program by going to the NatureBridge (formerly Yosemite National Institutes) website: www.yosemiteinstitute.org